At around 3:42 p.m. on Dec. 23, 2017, officers of the Morgantown Police Department were dispatched to 75 Retail Drive for a shoplifting in progress call. Officers arrived on scene and employees identified the suspects and the vehicle they were operating as they were attempting to leave the scene.
Officers attempted to stop the vehicle as it turned from Hornbeck Road onto Grafton Road. The operator of the vehicle ignored the blue lights and siren and accelerated from the area in an attempt to elude the officers. Another officer was enroute to assist when the suspect turned off of Grafton Road onto a dead-end dirt access road. The suspects fled from the vehicle on foot and ran into a wooded area. The suspects ran directly towards the Federal Correction Institution Morgantown, “Kennedy Center”, where they were taken into custody without any further incident.
Officers executed a search warrant on the suspect vehicle and recovered various items of stolen property and other evidentiary items related to ongoing investigations. Investigation revealed that the vehicle the suspects fled in was reported stolen in Connellsville, Pennsylvania. The suspects have been identified as suspects involved in several other larceny and shoplifting investigations. Charges for those investigations are forthcoming.
Carissa Dawn Chissler, 34 years of age of Maidsville, West Virginia, has been charged with Obstructing, Receiving a Stolen Vehicle, Fleeing (2 counts), and Shoplifting.
Allen Christopher Poling, 40 years of age of Morgantown, has been charged with Obstructing, Receiving a Stolen Vehicle, Fleeing (2 counts), Shoplifting and a being a Fugitive.
Chissler and Poling are both being held at the North Central Regional Jail. Poling is awaiting extradition to Green County, Pennsylvania on unrelated charges to this incident.
The Morgantown Police Department is committed to its goal of eliminating crime in our city. Citizens are encouraged to become a “Partner in
Policing”, by reporting suspected criminal activity to Morgantown Police Department Switchboard at 304-284-7522. If you need immediate Police attention or a crime is in progress call 911.